Submitted by: Dan Rich

Benjamin E. Schrader

Oct. 22, 1919 - Oct. 23, 2003

South Bend Tribune 10/24/2003

Our beloved husband, dad, grandpa and great-papa went home to heaven on Thursday, Oct. 23, from the Transitional Care Center at Saint Joseph Hospital of Mishawaka, Ind. He was born in Gary, Ind., on Oct. 22, 1919, to Ruth Marie (Nickerson) Schrader and Benjamin Frederick Schrader. He was raised in New Carlisle, Ind., and graduated from New Carlisle High School in 1938.

On Dec. 18, 1943, in East Lansing, Mich., he met and married the love of his life, Dorothy June Rapp. They raised their 10 children in the South Bend-Mishawaka area. He was a devoted family man and a hard worker. He was someone that everyone could count on at anytime. He loved to take Sunday drives after church with his family, especially along Lake Michigan. He loved baseball and would take his children to the park to play baseball even though he had been crippled by polio as a young boy. He loved the Chicago Cubs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He never missed a game played, even watching them from his hospital room. He loved trains and worked for the Grand Trunk Railroad for 39 years, retiring in 1980. He and his wife of 59-plus years made their home in Mishawaka.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, Theresa Schrader; granddaughters, Suann Bartz, Rosemary Elliott and Melissa Schrader; his parents, Benjamin and Ruth Marie Schrader; daughter-in-law, Sue Schrader; his sister and brother-in-law, Maxine and Edward Cooke; his brother and sister-in-law, Edward and Irene Schrader; brothers-in-law, Earl Rapp and Russell Rapp; niece, Alma Jean Schrader Rodman; stepmother, Alpha Schrader; and stepsister, Lillian Steif.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, and nine of their children: daughters, Ruth (Robert) Whitesel of South Bend, Ind., Gloria Newling and Nancy (Jerry) Morris of Mishawaka, Betty (Ed) Borlik of Osceola, Ind., Patricia (Jerry) Meyers of Madison, Ohio, and Janet (Mike) Lewis of Garretson, S.D.; and sons, James Schrader of South Bend, Michael (Barb) of Granger, Ind., and Joseph (Carmen) of Kissimmee, Fla. He enjoyed all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His grandchildren are Debbie (Brian) Hale, Bruce (Jami) Borlik, Dawn (Patrick) Marozsan, Sherry (Bill) Daniels, Jennifer (Mike) Graham, Christina Schrader, Kimberly Schrader, Michael Schrader Jr., Brian Shown, Traci (Marlon) Nicks, Dani Shown, Jackie Cory, Mark Vary, Andrea Tucker, Jerry (Kristin) Morris Jr., Michelle (Matt) McDougal, Lance Morris, Theresa Morris, Benjamin Schrader, Rachelle Schrader, April Lewis and Kelly Lewis; his great-grandchildren, B.J., Angel, Bethany, Holley, Melaney, Stephen, Jonathan, Emilee, Brian and Brianna. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Fred and Bobby Schrader and family of Sparta, Mich.; and his sister and brother-in-law, Joan and Mike Wiltfong and family of New Carlisle, Ind.; and sister-in-law, Mary Rapp and family of Xenia, Ohio.

Funeral services are planned for noon on Sunday, Oct. 26, in the McGann Funeral Home, 2313 E. Edison Road, South Bend. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of services on Sunday.